TOWN OF NORTH HARMONY
TOWN BOARD MEETING
MONDAY 06/08/2020, 7:00 PM
ROBERT YATES, SUPERVISOR PRESENT
DICK SENA, COUNCILMAN PRESENT
DUNCAN MCNEILL, COUNCILMAN PRESENT
LOUISE ORTMAN, COUNCILWOMAN PRESENT
STEVE SENSKE, COUNCILMAN PRESENT
OTHERS PRESENT: Robin Miller, Bookkeeper; Stephanie Gibbs, Deputy Town Clerk; Kelly Johnson, Attorney; Dale Robbins, Attorney; Brad Lawson, Zoning CEO; Howard Peacock, Justice; Pierre Chagnon, Legislator, Ellie McNeill; Helen Emick; Clayton Emick
Mr. Yates thanked everyone that has been essential to the town during this time.
- PLEDGE
- MINUTES: TOWN BOARD MEETING 5/11/2020
- MOTION # 51 OF 2020
MRS. ORTMAN MOTIONED TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF THE TOWN BOARD MEETING HELD ON 5/11/2020 AS PRESENTED BY THE TOWN CLERK. MR. SENA SECONDED. YES (5): SENA, ORTMAN, SENSKE, MCNEILL, YATES. NO (0). THE MOTION WAS CARRIED.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- CONTAMINATED WELLS IN THE TOWN
Mr. Yates said there has been contaminated well systems in the town reported. One well was reported to have gasoline in it. Mr.Yates said the DEC is helping with this incident.
- CHAUTAUQUA LAKE – WEEDS
Mr. Yates said he has had a few complaints about the weeds in the lake, especially around Quigley Park area.
- COUNTY SALES TAX – Reported June 5th
- NYS DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION – Town Equalization rate is 89.0%
- JOSH POWERS – Payment for DASNY Grant
- BUILDING UPDATE
Mr. Yates said the Highway department will be completing the drainage from the new building to the ditch on the east side of Stow Rd. The dry wall is being installed, the water line will be tied into the Fire Department, the roof is complete, and the siding is going on.
Mr. Senske asked if we have a completion date.
Mr. Yates said no, but he is thinking around the end of August.
Mrs. Emick asked if there was any damage from the roof not being done during the time it was not being worked on.
Mr. Yates said no.
- STOW FERRY – Update
Mr. Yates said everything is put on hold at this time.
- TAX ASSESSOR – Kevin Okerlund
Mr. Yates said Mr. Okerlund will be retiring the end of June.
- PUBLIC COMMENT:
- CORRESPONDENCE:
The following correspondence has been received by the Supervisor and is available for review:
- TRANSFER STATION- Resident Complaints
Mr. Yates said he received complaints from the town residents about the transfer station. He said the
main complaint is the lack of help.
Mr. Yates said he looked in the contract and it does not state they are required to help unload garbage.
Mr. Sena said it was a verbal communication.
Mr. Sena said we pay for a third person to help in the summer and he felt if they are not going to help unload, we only need one person to dump the trash.
Mr. Yates said he felt it is not a breach of contract.
Mr. Robbins said he would look at the contract.
- OLD BUSINESS:
- WATER DISTRICT – Request for Qualifications for Lead Consultant.
- SNOW REPORT
Mr. Sena gave the snow report for the town. (Copy of report in minute book)
- NEW BUSINESS:
- CLA – Wants money
Mr. Yates said the town put aside $15,000 for this, and the CLA is wondering if we could send them a check for the $15,000 so they can possibly get another cutter out on the lake.
Mr. Sena said that the money put aside was not specifically for the CLA. He said it was a combination of money for whatever we needed to spend it on.
Mr. Sena said he had a problem with giving it all to the CLA.
Mr. Sena asked if we could send them half of the money and see what happens budget wise and lake wise.
Mrs. Miller said the previous year we gave $7,000 to the CLA and $7,000 to the CLP.
Mr. Senske said he agreed that we did not guarantee them the whole amount of money.
- MOTION # 52 OF 2020
- SENA MOTIONED TO SEND A CHECK IN THE TOTAL OF $7,500 TO THE CLA. THE TOWN WILL REVIEW FUNDINGS AND SERVICES PROVIDED TO THE TOWN AFTER 30 DAYS TO DETERMINE IF THERE WILL BE MORE FUNDS AVAILABLE. MR. SENSKE SECONDED. YES (4): SENA, ORTMAN, SENSKE, MCNEILL. NO (1) YATES. THE MOTION WAS CARRIED.
- HADLEY BAY – Muck issue – Waiting on DEC Permit
- WENDY RYAN – Erosion problem – Still looking for funding
- DFT – WIFI quote
- WORK SESSION – Town business – June!!
- MOWING CONTRACT
Mr. Yates said he received many complaints about the mowing in the town.
Mr. Yates said he gave the mowing company his one notice and it seems to have been resolved.
- REPORTS:
PIERRE CHAGNON, LEGISLATOR
Mr. Chagnon said the following occurred at the May 2020 Legislature meeting:
- Accepted a federal grant to the Chautauqua county department of mental health for a certified community behavioral health clinic to fill service gaps to improve the health safety and wellbeing of vulnerable county residents, relieve over burdens emergency rooms, and mor effectively leverage recourses $4000000 grant covers the period from May 1, 2020 – April 30, 2022. This grant will serve the residents of Chautauqua county and those who need treatment for serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, substance abuse disorders or co-occurring disorders. This was a federal competitive grant. There were only three grants awarded to the state of New York and we got one of them.
- In response to the financial impact of the COVID 19 pandemic we approved a long list of budget amendments that will offset nearly 4.2 million dollars of reduced sales tax. Since then we have approved 149 county employees taking a voluntary Farlow through the end of July which will offset and additional 1.1 million dollars of reduced sales tax. So far, we have off set 12.5 percent of the budgeted sales tax revenue for the year.
- We distributed mortgage taxes as we do twice a year for the period of October 1, 2019 – April 30, 2020. North harmony received 25,855 which is a 6% increase from the same period last year.
- We passed a motion requesting that all reports and media releases from the New York forward reopening advisory board in Albany be forwarded to the Chautauqua county legislature to be entered into the public record.
- We passed a motion as congress negotiates the next COVID 19 response package the Chautauqua county legislature is calling on our united states congressional representative to demand direct assistance to the county and to local governments.
KEVIN OKERLUND, ASSESSOR
DAN STRICKLAND, HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENT
HOWARD PEACOCK, JUSTICE
Mr. Peacock read the following report into the record:
COURT REPORT FOR MONTH OF MARCH 2020
$15,158.50 in fines, fees, and surcharges was collected by the Court and given to the Town of North Harmony CFO for the court cases reported to the NYS Comptroller for March 2020. We opened 160 new cases and closed 99 cases.
COURT REPORT FOR MONTH OF APRIL 2020
$0in fines, fees, and surcharges was collected by the Court and given to the Town of North Harmony CFO for the court cases reported to the NYS Comptroller for April 2020. We opened 18 new cases and closed 0 cases.
COURT REPORT FOR MONTH OF MAY 2020
$10,156.00 in fines, fees, and surcharges was collected by the Court and given to the Town of North Harmony CFO for the court cases reported to the NYS Comptroller for May 2020. We opened 128 new cases and closed 81 cases.
Mr. Peacock said we have 180 days to spend the Grant money. Mr. Peacock is hoping it will be extended due to the circumstances with COVID 19.
BRAD LAWSON, ZONING C.E.O. (Copy of Report in Minute Book)
Mr. Lawson said it has been busy and reviewed his report for those present.
NANCY THOMAS, TOWN CLERK (Copy of Report in Minute Book)
Mrs. Thomas is out of town due to a death in the family. Mrs. Gibbs said she had nothing further to add to the written report.
- MOTION # 53 OF 2020
- SENA MOTIONED TO ACCEPT THE TOWN CLERKS REPORT AS PRESENTED. MRS. ORTMAN SECONDED. YES (5): SENA, ORTMAN, SENSKE, MCNEILL, YATES. NO (0). THE MOTION WAS CARRIED.
ROBERT YATES, SUPERVISOR (Copy of Report in Minute Book)
Mr. Sena asked if parks were going to be open.
Mr. Yates said he can not answer that at this time. Mr. Yates said that the toilets and the trash has been pulled for now.
Mr. Yates said for the month of April we had 6 property transfers and all, but one is down from the assessed value.
- MOTION # 54 OF 2020
- SENA MOTIONED TO ACCEPT THE SUPERVISORS REPORT AS PRESENTED. MR. SENSKE SECONDED. YES (5): SENA, ORTMAN, SENSKE, YATES, MCNIELL. NO (0). THE MOTION WAS CARRIED.
- MOTION # 55 OF 2020
- MCNEILL MOTIONED TO APPROVE THE GENERAL FUND VOUCHERS AS AUDITED AND REVIEWED EARLIER IN THE AMOUNT OF $38,705.01. MR. SENA SECONDED. YES (5): SENA, ORTMAN, SENSKE, MCNEILL, YATES. NO (0). THE MOTION WAS CARRIED.
- MOTION # 56 OF 2020
ON A MOTION MADE BY MR. SENA, SECONDED BY MR. SENSKE, AND NONE BEING OPPOSED, THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 8:05 PM.
Stephanie Gibbs
Deputy Town Clerk
